PDE Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has officially notified the Susquehanna Township School District that one of its schools has been identified as a low-achieving school enabling students residing within the boundaries of this school the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to attend a participating public or non-public school.
The following school within the district was designated as low achieving:
Susquehanna Township Middle School
Parental Responsibilities: Under the program, parents are responsible for contacting and enrolling their students in a participating public or nonpublic school.
NOTE: Scholarships are awarded by an approved opportunity scholarship organization and not by the Susquehanna Township School District.
Additional Information:
PA Department of Education http://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Opportunity%20Scholarship%20Tax%20Credit%20Program/Pages/default.aspx#tab-1
Instructions to Apply for the Opportunity Scholarship: https://dced.pa.gov/programs/opportunity-scholarship-tax-credit-program-ostc/
Notice of Opportunity Scholarships Parent Letter
March 3, 2023
Notice of Opportunity Scholarships
Please Read: Important Information Affecting Your Child
Dear Susquehanna Township Middle School Families,
We would like to make you aware of the choices available to you based on the results of your child’s school on the 2021-2022 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and/or Keystone Exams. The PSSA and Keystones are annual exams given to Pennsylvania students at various grade levels to measure their academic progress.
The Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program (OSTCP) was created pursuant to Act 85 of 2012 (72 P.S. § 1701-G.1, et seq) and amended by Act 86 of 2016 (24 P.S. § 2001-B, et seq). This program enables eligible students residing within the boundaries of low-achieving schools to apply for a scholarship to attend another public or nonpublic school. A low achieving school is defined as a public elementary or secondary school ranking in the bottom 15% of their designation as elementary of secondary school based on the combined math and reading scores on the previous school year PSSA.
Susquehanna Township Middle School is on the list of the bottom 15% for performance on the combined Math and Reading tests on the 2021-2022 PSSA and/or Keystone exams.
Under the OSTCP program, Susquehanna Township Middle School must offer students the choice to transfer to another school district or nonpublic school. Please know that the staff at Susquehanna Township Middle School has a relationship with your child and wants to continue serving your child. However, if you feel your child will be better served in another school, you may request a transfer for your child to one of the schools participating in the OSTCP.
If you wish to take advantage of this opportunity for your child to attend another school, you must go to the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) website: https://dced.pa.gov/programs/opportunity-scholarship-tax-credit-program-ostc/
You can review the list of scholarship organizations for the school districts and nonpublic schools that are participating in this program. DCED has information regarding the application process. Scholarships are contingent upon available funding.
Additional information is available on our school website https://ms.hannasd.org and the
PA Department of Education website http://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Opportunity%20Scholarship%20Tax%20Credit%20Program/Pages/default.aspx#tab-1
Sincerely,
Tamara Willis, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools